Youth centres across Cardiff could be forced to close under proposals to cut £1m from the city’s youth service.

Cardiff council wants to reduce the number of evenings youth services are provided and close some centres altogether.

Young people across the city have now organised petitions and rallies to protect Cardiff Youth Service.

The council said the number of youth centres would be reduced where “social deprivation is less prevalent” but it would continue to provide a “needs-based youth service” targeting those with the highest levels of need as well as offering a “more general youth service”.

It is considering closing youth centres in the north of the city, namely Radyr, Whitchurch and Llanishen youth centres as well as Ty Celyn Youth Centre in Cyncoed and the Howardian Youth Centre in Penylan, as well as services at Pentwyn Dome and Trowbridge Community Centre. Closures could also be enforced in Creigiau, Gwaelod-y-Garth, Tongwynlais and Rhiwbina, where services are currently provided one night a week. Some changes could also be made to the services provided at Cathays Community Centre.

Jon Wilson, a youth worker at Cathays Community Centre, said the building and equipment costs are free for the council. He said it works with young people from all over Cardiff because of its location, projects and links with Cathays High School and said the knock-on effects of the proposed cuts would be disproportionate.

He said: “They would be cutting a very small amount of money and having very little to gain from it.”

St Mellons, Rumney, Llanrumney, the Powerhouse in Llanedeyrn, Trelai, North Ely, Waterhall in Fairwater, Gabalfa, Butetown Pavilion, Grangetown Buzz Cafe, Riverside Warehouse, Eastmoors in Splott, Grassroots in the city centre and Llanover Hall would all remain open under the plans but the number of evenings would drop from four to three.

Cardiff’s Labour administration said it would instead introduce street-based youth work across the city with a new mobile service and use alternative venues. The proposals would save the council £1m, which includes £600,000 on staffing costs.

Cardiff Youth Council has launched a petition, which has more than 750 signatures, asking for play, youth and leisure services to be provided – something it says its young people deserve.

Its co-chair James Humphry, 19, from Pentwyn, said: “It’s going to have a massive impact on young people’s lives. This is something needed across the whole city.”

James has gone to Pentwyn Dome since he was nine and now volunteers there one night a week.

He explained how consultation events held last year, and highlighted in the council’s Budget Engagement Report from December, rated youth services as a high priority and said he thought the introduction of a mobile service would not have the same sort of impact.

Enya Lehane, 18, attends Whitchurch Youth Centre, which was set up around 30 years ago and hosts about 180 young people each week.

She said: “All of my friends come here, it’s a good place to socialise and talk about your problems. The youth workers are friendly and you can ask them anything. I don’t think people would travel elsewhere. The whole point of a youth centre is it being in your local area.”

Members of Whitchurch Youth Club have set up a petition to keep it open and will present this to councillors on Saturday.

The Dusty Forge in Ely could also close but the local authority said it will review the service it offers and introduce new proposals for it by April.

Tre Brown, 19, from Caerau, said he has used the Dusty Forge since he was about 11. He said: “When I was younger it was more of a youth centre, now it’s all about finding jobs. You get more time, more support, more help. Without it, it would make my life much harder.”

Ed Townend, 22, said he owes a lot to the experiences he had with Cardiff’s Youth Service at Radyr Youth Club and Cathays Community Centre.

He said: “The youth service essentially built up my skills for free and gave me some mind-blowing opportunities that still amaze me today. I still hold my last full year working for the music festival and its final outcome as one of the proudest and greatest achievements of my life so far.”

Rick Newnham from the In Defence campaign group which is made up of current and former youth sector workers called the proposed cuts “absolutely horrific”. He said the service has already been hit hard and said these latest proposals were “highly disappointing”.

Mr Newnham said: “It’s difficult to be certain what will happen but many young people might now be put in a situation where contact with their peers and adults, a place to meet up and develop relationships with people, is decreasing.”

He believes it could lead to social exclusion.

The consultation on Cardiff council’s budget proposals runs until February 13. You can see a list of the proposals at www.cardiff.gov.uk